Of the six Tier 1 events PGR uses to rank Smash 4 players, ZeRo took first place in two and third in another.

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However, 2016 was the year ZeRo looked mortal. After dominating the Smash 4 scene since the game’s release, ZeRo took a few months off from competition. His return in the summer months was shaky as he finished outside of top 8 for the first time in his career at CEO 2016. In August, he dipped as low as 13th place at Super Smash Con 2016.

ZeRo returned to form towards the end of the year with a string of tournament wins, including 2GGT: Abadango Saga, The Big House 6, KTAR XIX, and UGS Smash Open.

Evo 2016 winner Elliot “Ally” Bastien Carroza-Oyarce moved up from sixth place in 2015 to second place on the list, bumping Nairoby “Nario” Quezada and Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby down one spot each to third and fourth, respectively.

Panda Global uses a combination of tournament placings and a panel to rate Smash 4 players from around the world. Each player’s “X-Factor” is the difference between the player’s rating based on tournament outcomes and the rating assigned by the panel. You can read more about Panda Global’s process here.